The present invention relates to motor vehicle running lamps control circuits and more particularly to a humidity responsive motor vehicle running lamps control circuit.
Because of the accidents and fatalities occurring on roadways and highways, the total number of productive man-hours lost has been growing larger and larger each year at an alarming rate. As a result, much emphasis is being placed on highway safety. This is most evident in the increasing amount of safety regulation being enacted in several states which require various types of safety equipment to be installed on all motor vehicles as standard equipment.
Most recently, legislation is being directed to the use of windshield wipers and lights during conditions of rain, snow or fog. When rain, snow or fog are present, the condition is usually accompanied by a reduction in the amount of available light. As a result, it frequently becomes necessary for motorists to turn on their headlights to increase their visible range and to be visible to other motorists. Since in many instances, there is some amount of light available, motorists frequently resort only to the use of parking lamps in the mistaken belief that they can see effectively ahead to avoid accidents and that other motorists approaching them can see them. While the energization of the parking lamps, which also light the rear or tail lamps of the motor vehicle, give notice to nearby motor vehicles approaching from the rear or front, the parking lamps are insufficient in times of heavy rain, snow or fog.
Several states have recognized a need for additional lighting during such bad weather conditions and the fact that many motorists do not turn on their head lamps under such conditions, have enacted legislation which requires a motorist, when he or she has need of windshield wipers during conditions of rain, snow or fog, to have their head lamps in operation. Unfortunately, motor vehicles are presently designed with separate controls for the head lamps and other running lamps and the windshield wiper. As a result, many motorists through habit, forgetfulness or neglect, fail to operate their head lamps (running lamps) in rainy, snowing or foggy weather, even though the use of head lamps would be desirable as a safety measure or may be required by law.
In addition, several safety councils both in the U.S.A. and foreign countries, bus lines, trucking firms and other companies have recommended or mandated that the head lamps be used in all weather, in other words, that the head lamps be turned on when the engine is turned on. It is the premise of these organizations that like motorcycles the use of head lamps in other motor vehicles would increase the visibility of oncoming motor vehicles and also the visibility of motor vehicles being overtaken by other motor vehicles, since when the head lamps go on normally the tail lamps also go on.
The prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,500,119; 3,500,120; 3,591,845; 4,656,363; 5,205,634; 5,231,331 and 5,235,250, is directed solely to the premise that head lamps be automatically turned ON when the windshield wipers of the motor vehicles are turned ON.
The prior art, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,171,058; 3,706,006; 3,774,071; 3,829,828; 3,963,940; 3,993,914; 4,306,158 and 4,667,129, is directed solely to the premise that the head lamps be automatically turned ON when the engine of the motor Vehicle is running.
The prior arts, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,027,001; 5,136,209 and 5,185,558, is directed solely to the premise that the head lamps be automatically turned ON when moisture (water only) due to inclement weather conditions, such as rain, snow and the like, hits the windshield of the motor vehicle.
There does not appear to be any prior art directed to the premise that the head lamps and other running lamps be turned ON as soon as humidity in the air adjacent to the motor vehicle exceeds a predetermined value with this predetermined value being determined by the rain, snow or fog that the motor vehicle may encounter in the environmental climate through which the motor vehicle is operated.
When the humidity in the air adjacent or surrounding the motor vehicle is a certain value and the engine of the motor vehicle is running the head lamps will be turned 0N and when this humidity of the adjacent air is less than the given value and the engine is running the running lamps will be turned OFF which occurs when the motor vehicle travels out of the inclement weather.